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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23407567">Battling Dystopia</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainedrop/pseuds/Moonlight_Star'>Moonlight_Star (Rainedrop)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe - Military, Engineers, F/F, Mecha, Pilots, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:28:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23407567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainedrop/pseuds/Moonlight_Star</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The world has changed, warfare is not for power, but for protection from a greater threat that has manifested on Earth. Engineers and technicians have spent years developing special mechanized suits and training pilots to combat these threats. These threats, or otherwise referred to as “Unknowns”, are aggressive lifeforms but not much is known about their origins or their motivations. Since their resurgence, special militarized institutes have erected all over the world to protect humanity. </p>
<p>Lee Siyeon is a new Jr. Technician who joins the DCC Institute as she wanted to use her gift of tinkering and building to aid the cause. However, to her dismay, she did not expect to be paired with one of the highest ranking pilots in the institute, ‘JiU’,  thanks to her young prodigy roommate. </p>
<p>Together, with their team, they come to learn that their bond might just be the key to combating these unknown threats.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Dong | Handong/Kim Bora | SuA, Kim Minji | JiU/Lee Siyeon, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Yoobin | Dami</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: The New World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello Readers, </p>
<p>I'm back with writing after a very long time.... </p>
<p>Since getting into Dreamcatcher, I've found some motivation to write again. </p>
<p>Originally, this was intended as a SuaYeon/JiYoo AU however, I wanted to try writing for more 'underrated' pairings. </p>
<p>Anyways, I hope this catches your interest and enjoy :)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You can also find me on Twitter: @Dream7_AU </p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>New Asia 2075.</em> </p>
<p>The evolution of humanity has brought on advanced technological expansion and new ways of living in favour of convenience to improve the quality of life. Cars were now self-driven, stores served by artificially intelligent entities. Nearly everything running efficiently and cleanly by autonomous machines.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Soon, “Super Cities” were built upon the foundation of the ‘Old World’. A new era for humanity had begun to sprout. However, with such technological success also brought more curiosity that led further to expanses into unknown and unfamiliar territory.<br/><br/></p>
<p>As the age-old tale of Little Red Riding Hood, Human greed and curiosity for more strayed from the path and led straight into the wolves den.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Foreign, grotesque, alien-like creatures, otherwise called “Unknowns” for their unexplainable nature or origins, were awoken from their slumber to seemingly wanting to destroy what humanity had built.<br/><br/></p>
<p>To combat these threats, engineers and scientists from around the globe worked tirelessly, researching and studying these Unknown life forms before finding a small weakness in them. With this knowledge, they created highly advanced mechanized suits that allowed the firepower for specialized military forces to utilize against these creatures.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Institutes were erected with the purpose of enlisting, training and deploying strong and talented individuals to pilot these suits with new engineers and technicians to maintain them.<br/><br/></p>
<p>War continues to rage and escalate between humans and Unknowns in a battle to protect the New World from destruction.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>“Firebird to Rabbit, Skies are all clear.”<br/><br/></span>
  </p>
  <p>
    <span>“Copy that Firebird. Reporting back to command.” </span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p><br/>The one referred to as ‘Rabbit’ drifted to a clearing over the vast, overgrown city with that was once a concrete jungle, now green with lush forestation. A stark reminder of the ‘Old World’.</p>
<p>It was almost sad with the state that humanity had taken, but one couldn’t deny the beauty that grew from the devastation.</p>
<p>The humanoid, pearl white mech with a sharp, golden trim landed on the grassy clearing of a rooftop before cutting the thrusters in their boots. It stood about eight feet tall. The pilot raised their hand to a spot on the temple of their helmet. A holographic monitor appeared from their visor.<br/><br/></p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>“Rabbit to command. Northern sector secure. Over and out.” </span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
    <span>“Copy that Rabbit. Hanger 2, Bays 1 and 3 clearing for your return.”</span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
    <span>“Roger that.” </span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p><br/>The pilot closed the monitor, looking up at their squad mate still hovering from above.<br/><br/></p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><span>“</span><span>You are relieved from your patrol Firebird</span>. <span>I’m going to admire the sunset a little longer.” </span><br/><br/><span>A light, feminine chuckle crackled over the radio. “You’ve always been a sentimental one Rabbit.”</span><br/><br/><span>“Call me weak for beautiful scenery.” </span><br/><br/><span>“Well I would join you, but you-know-who is already timing my return.” Firebird responded in an annoyed manner. </span><br/><br/><span>“Don’t take it too personal, you know how she is.” </span><br/><br/><span>“Suffocating, I know.</span> <span>Lucky me.</span>” She interrupted. “<span>Anyways, I’ll see you later</span> then… <span>JiU.” </span></p>
</blockquote><p><br/>With that, JiU watched as the dark red mech and its’ pilot turned off, blasting back to headquarters.</p>
<p>JiU sighed at the retreating figure. She unclasped her helmet and pulled it off to reveal the deep blue hair of the young woman, that neatly tied back just below her shoulder. She faced the golden sunset to bask in the light breeze from the top of the building. It was against protocol to remove her helmet while in the Outskirts, but she enjoyed the tranquil moments she could get away from bustling city.</p>
<p>She took a seat and dangled the large boots of her mech over the edge before placing her helmet on her lap.</p>
<p>Many thoughts filled the head of the pilot, as she watched the golden hues darken to a deep orange as the sun slowly descended over the horizon of the crumbled city. Particularly an event that was to take place the next day came to mind.<br/><br/></p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>‘Right... I need to prepare my speech.’ </span>
    </em>
    <span>She thought. </span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p><br/>She closed her eyes, imagining the crowd of new arrivals, freshly enlisted into the Institute. She muttered words under her breathe, lightly reciting them as she tried to find the right words in her mind.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a loud alarm sounded, and red warning signs flashed from her helmet, effectively breaking her from her peaceful trance. She was now on high alert as she threw her helmet back on, flipping to the radar screen on her left forearm.</p>
<p>It showed a single red pulsing entity, must be in the building below. If it was just one, she could handle it without alerting Command.</p>
<p>Carefully, she got up charging her thrusters and scaled the side of the building. She noticed a gaping hole that scaled several floors and took the opportunity to enter through with just enough space for her mech that nearly touched the sunken ceiling.</p>
<p>It was pitch black, so she flipped on the high beams from her shoulder to illuminate the dark space.</p>
<p>It seemed to be an old office building with what remained of caved-in cubicles and remnants of office chairs and other miscellaneous computer and office supplies. She carefully stepped over the broken glass and debris that littered the floor.</p>
<p>The beeping on her radar began to pulse more rapidly as she neared what appeared to be an old printing room. Dirtied papers were strewn about and old printers were tilted on their side but remained relatively intact except for vines long growing over them.</p>
<p>The beeping was now at maximum intensity as she carefully looked around, unsheathing a pistol at that was hooked on the right leg of her mech.</p>
<p>She stood at the entrance of the room, scanning for any movement, but there was none which confused the pilot as she continued to scan the space around her.</p>
<p>A slight shuffle in the corner of the room finally alerted her attention as she readied her weapon and trained it at a tall, dented steel cabinet.The shuffling seemed to come from within it.</p>
<p>JiU took careful steps towards it, not wavering her weapon in the event of a sudden ambush.</p>
<p>The movement stopped as she stood in front of the cabinet. Whatever was within it seemed to also be alerted of her presence. However, nothing followed.</p>
<p>The pilot figured she had to make the first move in this strange standoff and carefully placed a free glove onto the door.</p>
<p>She took a deep breath and pulled it wide open. She expected a dark, repulsive creature to attack, however what she didn’t expect was a small, white and muddied furry-ball with beady eyes staring up at her. It appeared to be a small dog.</p>
<p>She lowered her guard slightly, observing the tiny, seemingly innocent animal that stared up at the pilot, whimpering.</p>
<p>She turned off the alert on her radar and marked it as a false alarm.<br/><br/></p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><span>“What is something like you doing here, hm?” </span>She whispered to herself, kneeling<span>.</span><br/><br/></p>
</blockquote><p>It seemed hesitant but carefully inched closer, nuzzling against her outreached armoured glove.</p>
<p>It wasn’t unusual to see wild animals still roaming the outskirts of the city, but it certainly was unusual to see a domesticated animal, let alone one locked in a cabinet of an abandoned building.</p>
<p>Without an explanation it was suspicious yet JiU couldn’t sense any harm or threat from the dog. In fact, it looked rather malnourished and weak.</p>
<p>To be sure, she pressed a sequence of numbers into a pad that opened up on her sleeve. A green beam emitted from her visor and scanned the creature.</p>
<p>The dog jolted slightly at the light, but then titled its head in curiosity. She wondered if she was the first human to contact it in a long time.</p>
<p>Statistics and paragraphs scanned over her screen with information on Pomeranians, including their habits, mannerisms and diet. It also showed this one was a female. Its’ temperament was calm and curious, and it still was a puppy at little under a year old.</p>
<p>With a sigh of relief, she finally dropped her guard and slid her pistol back into its place on the leg of her mech.<br/><br/></p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>“You sure gave me a scare, little one.” She attempted to communicate with the puppy and gave it a gentle pat on the head.</span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>It let out a small whine as she stood up. She stared into its’ small, beady eyes, as it attempted to follow her out of the room.<br/><br/></p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><span>“Poor thing, you must be hungry, hm?” She hummed. “But you know I can’t take you with me...” she spoke as if it could understand</span>. Or perhaps she was more speaking to herself.<br/><br/></p>
</blockquote><p>It continued to stare up at her. Its’ small pleading eyes boring into her as it continued to whine pathetically.</p>
<p>After a few moments of silence, she let out a defeated sigh before gently picking up the small furry animal, cradling it securely into her arm and exiting the decayed building.</p>
<p>The sun was barely peaking over the horizon now, with the stars visible under the darkened sky.</p>
<p>She took another look down at the puppy in her arms as it seemed rather content to be outdoors, nuzzling closer to her.</p>
<p>She had convinced herself that taking it with her would only be a temporary arrangement to have it fed and cleaned before finding a new home for it.</p>
<p>Again, it was strongly against protocol to bring a wild animal from the outskirts which the pilot knew she would surely need to answer to.</p>
<p>She wasn’t concerned though; she had already gone against protocol by not returning directly to base after their patrols. But it was rare moments like this that she could be reminded of her humanity that made breaking a few strict rules worth it.</p>
<p>Ramping up her thrusters on both her boots and the small wings on her back, she took to the sky being careful not to drop her newfound companion and headed back into the direction of the base.</p>
<p>What she failed to notice was the curious eyes of a small, hooded figure peaking at her from a broken window within the office building.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Author Notes:</p><p>Hello, this is just a short introduction. I hope to have the first chapter posted this upcoming weekend. </p><p>The format seems a little off from my original document... so apologies if  it looks strange in places.</p><p>Any feedback is appreciated and welcome. Thanks for reading. </p><p>Twt: @Dream7_AU  cc: https://curiouscat.me/Dream7_AU</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A New Life Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The DCC Institute stood tall and proud on an overlook of the Great “Super City” of Seoul, a well-developed city of New Asia. Its main building was sleek with grey panels with black-tinted windows that expanded up towards the sky. The overlook was remote from the city, with heavy defenses surrounding the perimeter. The military grounds expanded out several acres, almost as if it was a small city within itself. This monument was the pinnacle of pride for the city.</p><p>A convoy of large, dark buses pulled to the entrance of the building. The new recruits filed out out excitedly, ogling up at the institute and chatting among themselves.</p><p>Armed guards were stationed at the entrance, carefully watching the newcomers approach the security gate. They wore black camouflage uniforms, all dawned with a large rifle strapped to their backs and a helmet with a dark-tinted visor covering their eyes.</p><p>Approaching the large gate, it spanned out with several smaller archways as the new arrivals filed in several lines. A screen was presented along with a scanner to verify their identity and credentials to produce an identification card.  </p><p>A security guard took notice of a young, solemn looking woman with shoulder-length, black hair and long bangs who took tentative steps from the gate after checking herself in while staring up at the main entrance. She wore a leather jacket with a blue and white striped shirt underneath and a pair of baggy jeans. A white cap covered her eyes. She kept to herself, ignoring the idle chatter around her.</p><p>Feeling a strange vibe coming from the woman, he walked towards her with curiosity.</p><p>       “Are you lost, recruit?” He asked from behind her.</p><p>She didn’t say anything, seemingly in her own world not even sparing him a glance. This agitated him a bit as he cleared his throat, repeating himself.</p><p>       “Recruit. Identify yourself.”</p><p>Snapping out of her daze as she turned her body to face the guard. Her gaze was so sharp it almost pierced him through his tinted visor. He peered down at the identification tag clipped onto her shirt.</p><p>       [Name: Lee Siyeon | Division: Technology | Classification: Technician | New Recruit]</p><p>Surprised, he returned his gaze back to the quiet woman who had yet to say anything. In his eyes, she was small, pale and frail looking, surely someone more suited as a nurse in the medical division or administrative work. He wondered if she could even hold a power drill.</p><p>       “Well Miss Lee, if you are looking for the Tech Division, follow the blue markers. Do you need me to escort you?”  He asked, trying to sound polite.</p><p>She turned her gaze away and briefly shook her head before immediately retreating away from the man. He scratched his head.</p><p>            <em>‘What a strange woman…’ </em></p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Siyeon stared up in awe at the sheer size of the building before her. She knew that the Institute was one of the largest and more renown of the continent, but it somehow felt different standing in front of it rather than from her window within the walls of the City. Like many of her new peers around her, she came with the hopes and dreams of a new start.</p><p>Siyeon took a moment to let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Somehow, stepping through the gates didn’t make the military institute any less intimidating. She looked around to observe many of the other new recruits had already walked in groups, seemingly familiar with the grounds. She followed the blue markers as that guard had mentioned. His judgmental demeanor didn’t go unnoticed. It irked her but she chose to ignore it as he wouldn’t be the first to look down on her and she was determined to prove him, among the others, wrong.  </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>       “Welcome new recruits to DCC Institute of Technology and Defense. I am Commanding Officer Sera Ryu and I will be leading the opening ceremony today.”</p><p>The small crowd of young, anxious new recruits clapped politely before hushing down.</p><p>They were gathered in a very large hall. The walls were filled with flags of various nations and achievements. Golden medals and trophies next to faces of pilots and engineers of past generations.</p><p>       “Before I call upon you all to allocate you to your classes and distribute your uniforms, it is crucial you understand the Mission Statement of our Institute. Serve and Protect for the greater good of Humankind. Discipline and Respect are our upmost values that must be upheld at all times so long as you stand in this institution.” She paused to let her point sink in among the group.</p><p>There was a collective reverie as everyone stood attention, taking in the words of the Commanding Officer.</p><p>       “With that understood, I will be allocating you to your classes based upon the results of your entrance exams and applications. Please come up to retrieve your badge and uniform. It’s important for you know that all new recruits start off at Junior level. You will be divided among First, Second and Third subclassifications. Those in First Class may have the opportunity to rank up to Senior level if they prove themselves enough through their work or mission opportunities.”</p><p>The Commander stared down at the list in front of her, clearing her throat and began to call names and those called would stand up to retrieve their uniforms from the front. </p><p>It was about midway through the ceremony when Sera called another name.</p><p>       “Lee Siyeon, Jr. Technician. First Class.”</p><p>The sharp-eyed girl stood attention as her name was mentioned. If she was the least bit nervous her exterior expression showed otherwise as the eyes of her new colleagues fell upon her.</p><p>There were a few whispers as she walked up to the front.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     “First Class? Is she some kind of genius?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>     “She probably just has connections…”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She ignored their words as she made her way up to the podium.</p><p>The Commanding Officer was a fairly young and admittedly beautiful looking woman, but still held features of an experienced Veteran. Siyeon found herself caught off guard at the surprisingly strong hand of the older woman.</p><p>             “For your outstanding showcase of skill in the entrance exam, we are pleased to welcome you into First Class.” She spoke in a calm and knowing manner, handing Siyeon her new badge along with her black and grey camouflaged uniform.</p><p>The badge was an embroidered crescent shaped crest with a gold ‘V’ that stemmed from the base. A bronze wrench was marked in the center. It was marked with a small, single ‘I’ underneath to indicate First Class.</p><p>She took notice of how she was the first to have been placed into First class and she couldn’t help but feel out of place as eyes of her peers burned the back of her head.</p><p>            “Please meet me just outside the Hall. I will escort you to your living quarters.” The Commanding officer’s voice caught her attention as she was about to turn away.</p><p>She gave a curt nod of understanding and a quick salute before returning to her seat. She stared at her badge in her lap, lightly tracing the outline of the fabric.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the ceremony carried forward with the rest of the new arrivals breaking into Third or Second Class.</p><p>            “Now that we have everyone inducted into their classes, I would like to close off this ceremony with a few words from one of our brightest and revered Pilots in this Institution.”</p><p>She ushered to an individual that was sitting off to the side to which Siyeon hadn’t noticed.</p><p>She had expected to be middle-aged or at least late 30’s, but the woman looked no older than herself. This woman had deep blue hair that cut just below her shoulders. She wore a formal, black uniform lined with multiple badges and accolades on the chest and sleeve along with golden tassels on the shoulders. She removed her brimmed hat, tucking it under her arm with her white gloves. She made her way gracefully to the podium and cleared her throat.</p><p>            “Hello everyone, my name is JiU and I am a First-Class Platinum Pilot. It’s always nice to see new faces.” She began and there was a wave of hushed whispers and awestruck reactions. “I’ll try to make this short and sweet as I know how tedious these ceremonies can be.” She spoke in jest, scanning over the crowd who nodded in silent agreement.</p><p>            “Even though I am from a different division, we like to work closely together with our engineers and technicians to provide feedback from the perspective of the field. On behalf of my fellow pilots, we are looking forward to working with you in the future.” She smiled brightly, almost too brightly for Siyeon. Not due to a lack of sincerity, but quite the opposite. </p><p>It was truly genuine.</p><p>           “As you may have noticed, you are sitting in the ‘Hall of Heroes’ and for good reason. The walls are filled with the memories and achievements of the many faces of those who were like of you, sitting exactly where you are now. While you may have your own motivations, ultimately, we are here for the same reason. To protect our home. Your service is truly appreciated. Thank you.”</p><p>With a round of applause, she bowed respectfully towards the crowd and headed back towards her seat on the side.</p><p><em>‘To protect our home.’</em> The words resonated in Siyeon’s mind. The word ‘home’ seemed so foreign to her, yet she didn’t mind the sound of it. The Commander returned to the podium, continuing with further instruction and rules for new recruits.</p><p> </p><p>After the ceremony, Siyeon stayed back until the most of crowd had dispersed before making her way out of the Hall to meet the Commanding Officer as per her instruction.</p><p>Upon making her way out, she noticed the blue-haired mech pilot speaking with Commander Ryu. She debated on waiting but could overhear them speaking as she decided to make her approach.</p><p>            “I know you got back late from your patrol last night but thank you for taking time to prepare your speech in such short notice.”</p><p>            “It was no problem, I’m honoured to have been chosen to represent oh- hello.“ JiU stopped, looking down at the new presence and offering a kind smile. That smile that the latter couldn’t keep her eyes on too long as she moved her gaze towards a random spot on the wall.</p><p>Sera turned around, acknowledging the younger woman. “Ah there you are recruit! Ready to head to your room?”</p><p>           “Yes mam.” Siyeon responded, returning her eyes to her superior.</p><p>           “I will be taking my leave as well as I have things to prepare.” JiU turned her attention back to Siyeon who seemed to refuse to look her in the eyes. “Welcome to our ranks, Miss Lee Siyeon.” She politely spoke before bowing and turning away in the opposite direction.</p><p>Siyeon dumbly reminded herself that she had her identification tag on, shaking off the initial shock when JiU spoke her name.</p><p>Little did she realize of how she had managed to catch the attention of the pilot during the ceremony.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Commanding Officer observed the young technician following quietly behind her. Most new recruits were curious, full of questions and talkative, yet she seemed rather kept to herself, only sparing a glance or two at her surroundings. They had gotten off the elevator that ascended several floors of the residential building.</p><p>            “Siyeon, you’ve impressed us quite a bit with your results on the entrance exam. Especially with the practical. You have a lot of potential.” Ryu decided to break the silence between them.</p><p>The young technician was taken back by the sudden compliment.</p><p>            “T-thank you.” She quietly sputtered out, unsure entirely of how to react as she wasn’t used to receiving praise on her work.</p><p>            “What’s more impressive is that your application noted that your only experience is that you worked out of your family’s garage as a small repair shop business.” Commander Ryu continued, hoping her tone didn’t seem condescending towards the younger woman as she became noticeably more tensed.  </p><p>At this, she decided to change subjects. “I know being First Class right out of the gate can seem intimidating or overwhelming, but the Recruitment Board thought it would be a waste to place you lower. We are expecting great things from you, but don’t let that put too much pressure you.”</p><p>The two rounded a corner, down a longer stretch of hallway, lined with doors on one side and windows to the outside. Siyeon observed the vast view of the training grounds and base that spanned out several acres. She was in view of the hanger just in the distance with speckles of people cleaning the dock and machines transporting large parts. She wondered what sorts of mechs and ships she would be working on in the future.</p><p>The thought excited her.</p><p>            “As such, we would like to help you succeed here so we roomed you with one of our most promising Senior engineers in hopes you can learn from them and show you around. Normally we have all the new recruits in their own quarters based on their class, however, we are trying a new strategy to better onboard new arrivals.” The Commander continued with the technician quickly turned her attention back to her superior.</p><p>Siyeon gave a short, respectful bow. “I’ll do my best not to let you down.”</p><p>The two fell back into silence as they continued down the hall stopping in front of a door with a ‘0117’ illuminated at the top. Sera turned around, handing Siyeon a small black box she had retrieved from her pocket.</p><p>Opening it, she found it contained a black watch with a small, round screen and a single button on the side. Tapping the screen, it opened a small holographic screen that illuminated a ‘Welcome’ message.</p><p>            “This is your personal communicator. It includes a map of the main grounds, and any emergency notifications. You also use this to scan into your room or other sectors depending on your security clearance, but if you have any other questions, ask your roommate.”</p><p>Uttering a simple ‘thank-you’, Siyeon placed the watch onto her wrist. It was a smooth, comfortable metal, and surprisingly light that seemed to automatically adjust to the size of her wrist.</p><p>            “I’ll let you introduce yourself to your roommate. Your personal items and luggage should arrive shortly.” She pressed a hand onto the younger’s shoulder. “Again, welcome. We are glad to have you.”</p><p>As intimidating as it was to be escorted by such a high-level superior, Siyeon had to admit there was an odd comfort she found in the older woman, albeit a slightly awkward one.</p><p> Once she took her leave, Siyeon scanned her watch on the door and with a click, it slid open. Taking a deep breath, she entered the room to find it surprisingly void of her roommate. The space was modest and symmetrical, two twin beds on opposite ends of the room, suited with small, personal closets, dressers and drafting desks with a simple flattop lamp. One side of the room was clearly occupied but kept quite neat.</p><p>Overall, the room was modern and rather high-end. She saw a few pictures in the brochure she received in the mail but didn’t expect it to live up to the expectations. It explains why they only allowed so few to enrol through a gruelling process. Not to mention the vast amount of funding and investment from the government towards the Institute was no joke. They did keep the city or world for that matter safe after all.</p><p>           “Ouch!” A high-pitched whine groaned from the closet on the occupied side of the room, startling Siyeon from her thoughts.</p><p>Curiously, she walked over to the closet, pressing the button on the side to slide it open.</p><p>She was met with a young-looking woman with black hair, sitting cross-legged on a round pillow. She was deeply focussed on a small circuit in front of her, attempting to solder a chip onto it. Alerted by the light in the closet, she turned her head towards her.</p><p>            “Oh! Hi!” The young girl smiled brightly at the sudden presence. Taking off her goggles, she stood up to face the confused woman. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in… you must be my new roomie.…” She titled her head thoughtfully, “Lee Siyeon, right?”</p><p>Siyeon dumbly nodded, still wondering what this strange girl, who she is now roomed with, was doing in a closet fit with a small, short table and mini soldering kit, blueprints and messy notes plastered on the walls.</p><p>Gahyeon noticed the other woman staring curiously around at her closet space.</p><p>            “This is my…. thinking and testing room. I work better in small, enclosed spaces… pardon the mess.” She bashfully explained, scratching her head. “Ah! My name is Lee Gahyeon. Age twenty-two and Senior Engineer at your service!”</p><p>The bright girl stood up and held out her hand and Siyeon stared at it for a moment before tentatively shaking it.</p><p>            “You’re a senior engineer…?” She asked carefully, surprised this young, bright girl was her senior. She took notice of the badge on the girl was similar to hers, except instead of a wrench in the middle, it looked like a globe with a lightning strike through it. It also had an ‘I’ embedded below it.</p><p>            “Yep! I started early as a First Class, Junior engineer just over a year ago. I guess the board was impressed with my designs and bumped me up. I see that you’re also starting off in First class.” Gahyeon observed the badge on the uniform that Siyeon was still holding in her hands. “That must be why you’re roomed with me…great minds go well together.” She winked at her new roommate.  </p><p>Gahyeon stretched her sore limbs, huffing and looking down at her little ‘project’ that she had been working on for most of the morning. She had meant to only work on it a short time and then prepare to meet her new roommate, but the time had passed quickly, and it was already 3pm she noticed, looking at her watch.</p><p>            “The Commander wanted me to show you around, so why don’t you change, settle in and we can go?” she suggested to the older girl.</p><p>            “…Okay.” Siyeon simply agreed, making her way towards the shared bathroom.</p><p>Gahyeon raised her brow at the short answer. She didn’t take it in a rude way, but her first impression was rather terse.</p><p>            <em>‘Maybe she is just tired.’</em> She thought.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Siyeon slipped into the bathroom, quickly changing into her uniform and looked herself over in the mirror. The uniform was a high collared, short-sleeved shirt with loose fitting cargo pants that matched. The outfit was coloured black and grey camouflage with the badge sewn onto her right shoulder and a ‘DCC’ logo on the breast pocket. Her gaze lingered as she ghosted her fingers over the embedded logo.</p><p>After a brief moment of silence, the realization began to sink in. She was now an official militant. A soldier.</p><p>She tied up her hair and took notice of her bangs growing out as they loosely hung over her forehead. They were not long enough to completely cover her eyes, but enough to cast a bit of a shadow over them, not that she minded.</p><p>            She stepped out of her room to see Gahyeon sitting on her bed, fiddling with the watch on her wrist. Her luggage that consisted of a small duffle bag and backpack sat cleanly near her bedside.</p><p>Hearing the door of the bathroom open, the young woman spoke up.</p><p>            “Your luggage came by so I just put them on your side-“</p><p>Gahyeon looked up and took notice of the woman. She gawked at her appearance as the rest of her words got caught in her throat. She had to admit that the uniform suit the woman well.</p><p>            “Wow, you look good!” The young Engineer complimented, clapping excitedly.</p><p>Siyeon felt flustered, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck. “You said you were going to show me around?” She quickly muttered, wanting to change subjects quickly.</p><p>Gahyeon stood up nodding. “Sure, let’s go!” She made her way towards the door before quickly turning on her heel to face the latter. “But before I forget, let’s add each other!” She held out her watch towards Siyeon.</p><p>Seeing the hesitation, she grabbed Siyeon’s wrist and held it to hers. “We just scan each other’s watches and it’ll add you to my contact list. You can message me anytime. I’ll show you later if you want.” She explained when a small beep emitted from the watches.</p><p>Siyeon examined her watch curiously as the small screen lit up with a confirmation.</p><p> </p><p>            [Successfully added Lee Gahyeon to ‘Contacts’]</p><p>            “Now we have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get going!” The shorter woman beamed excitedly as she pulled Siyeon along.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The two toured through most of the main grounds, with Gahyeon pointing out important locations, notably the main cafeteria, garage, hangar and dock where the mechs were kept for maintenance as well as a few lecture halls that were mainly used by Engineers and new technicians to discuss theory and design.</p><p>Siyeon didn’t say much, other than simple acknowledgements as her roommate overloaded her with information. She learned that the Institute had three main buildings for Medical Development, Technology and Science &amp; Research Divisions. All main operations ran out of the Command Center which was the largest of the buildings that she had observed upon arrival. Pilots had their own training area that was in the center of the three main buildings.</p><p>            “Junior Techs and Engineers mainly work in the lower deck on the smaller mechs, where they keep the fancy stuff in the upper decks…”  Gahyeon continued, as they made their way through the upper observation walkway that overlooked the lower hangar as technicians and pilots could be seen working behind the glass.</p><p>Loud drilling and ambient clangs and hisses could be heard as Siyeon watched with anticipation; her hands were already itching to get to work.</p><p>Gahyeon took notice of the slight change demeanour of the woman from a more nonchalant one to one of clear interest and almost excitement. She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.</p><p>Siyeon turned her attention back to the Senior Engineer and quirked a brow, wondering what she found so amusing. “Sorry, you just reminded me a lot of my friend… she is also a woman of few words but get her talking about mechanics and the latest upgrades and she doesn’t stop. She is a First-Class Technician too; you guys would be great friends!” Gahyeon clapped her hands together, attempting to get a spark of a reaction from the woman.</p><p>The latter simply hummed, returning to the neutral expression. She wasn’t too keen in making friends, and it was already a headache having such a talkative and bubbly roommate. Not that she minded being around people, but she much preferred working and being alone in her own space.  </p><p>            “Say… do you want to check out the upper deck?” Gahyeon had a mischievous grin playing on her lips as she tilted her head. “Normally it’s restricted access for high rank personnel but consider this a perk of having a highly toted Senior Engineer such as myself, showing you around.” She pointed her thumb towards herself.</p><p>Siyeon wasn’t particularly fond of idea of breaking the rules on the first day but had to admit the temptation was strong to see what was on the upper deck.</p><p>            “Come on, you’re not going to get in trouble, besides I think the high-ranking Pilots are getting ready for their Air show and they usually bring out the big guns for that.”</p><p>To this, Siyeon’s interest was piqued.</p><p>            “Air show?” Siyeon questioned, following slowly behind as the energetic woman already began to skip away before turning back to face her.</p><p>            “Yeah, it should be starting soon. It’s supposed to be a formal ‘celebration’ but it is basically where they show off the best mechs and do fancy maneuvers and all that for the newbies. It’s quite the display, they even do fireworks. Today is your lucky day, because guess who has front row seats!” Gahyeon grinned slyly and with a smugness in her tone.</p><p>Siyeon lowly sighed in defeat, deciding to go along with her roommate. By the determination in her eyes, she didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter anyway.</p><p>            “Whatever you say.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Observing the upper decks, there was a noticeable difference in the size of the platform and quality of the mechs. They were made of higher-grade parts and all had specialized colours with trims. They were noticeably a bit larger as well. Compared to the lower deck, the upper deck seemed a lot busier with personnel hustling from one place to another.</p><p>            “The upper decks are reserved for Gold and higher designations. They are usually sent for high profile operations for things such as dealing with the Unknowns.” Gahyeon explained, pointing excitedly at a group of mechs being pulled in by various technicians being led by a woman with a black patch over her right eye. Five pilots followed with a familiar blue-haired woman at the helm. They were dressed in white, tight-fighting body suits lined with black seams and thick leather boots that covered up to just below their knees as they seem padded by some thin metal plating. They also contained locking mechanisms in the elbows and back of the suits. “That’s one of the top squads with their captain M- Uh, JiU, codename Rabbit.”</p><p>            “Pilots have different designations?” Siyeon asked, recalling JiU had introduced herself as a Platinum rank. She was fixated on the group as they made their way to their mechs, with JiU walking up to the snow white mech with a golden trim.</p><p>            “That’s right! They have more ‘traditional’ ranking system, but recently they’ve adopted the class system like us. It ranges from Bronze to Diamond ranks with 3<sup>rd</sup> Class to 1<sup>st</sup> Class. For example,” Gahyeon cleared her throat, pointing towards the captain. “JiU is a First-Class Platinum Pilot so she is at the top of her class, just below Diamond tier.” She moved her finger, to the blonde pilot beside her speaking with JiU. “That’s Firebird, she is a foreigner that just transferred last year but ranked up really quickly. She is a 2<sup>nd</sup> Class Gold Pilot, but if you ask me, she is just as good as a Platinum rank. “</p><p>Siyeon turned to face her roommate with an amused stare. “You sure know a lot about them.”</p><p>Gahyeon furled her brows in an offensive manner. “Of course, I do! I help design their mechs after all.”  She spoke in a matter of fact manner and smirked victoriously at the sudden shocked look of the latter.</p><p>            “You designed those?”</p><p>            “Well, not entirely but I’m in charge of tweaking them where necessary.” The smaller woman continued to grin widely, her eyes shining with pride.</p><p>Siyeon subtlety rolled her eyes, choosing not to give the girl the satisfaction of catching her off guard, though she had to admit she was impressed.</p><p>She couldn’t take her eyes from the captain as she climbed into her mech through a single, human sized opening in the back. Once she slipped in, the mech closed and seemed to fit towards her body. The shorter woman with the eye patch handed over her helmet which she promptly placed on, a dark visor now covering her face.</p><p>            “Looks like they are getting ready to fly soon, let’s go!” Siyeon felt another tug of her arm as Gahyeon pulled her towards a door leading up several flights of stairs. They passed by an “Authorized Personnel Only” sign and the former simply sighed.</p><p>When they made it to the top, Siyeon realized how grossly out of shape she was as Gahyeon didn’t miss a beat in walking to the railing of the rooftop, above the decks and ushering the visibly worn out woman over. The sky already begun to dim as the time passed into the evening.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The five mechs were lined up on the launching pads, one by one they started up the thrusters from under their boots, small wings extending from their backs.</p><p>            “Rabbit to team, ready up.” She spoke over the comms.</p><p>She received affirmations from her squad mates as they waited for the go ahead from Command.</p><p>            “Sky is clear for liftoff on your ready Squad One.”</p><p>            “Let’s put on a show ladies.” ‘Rabbit’ smiled under her helmet as they blasted into the air one by one.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Siyeon watched in awe as they all flew high, taking an arrow-like formation, leaving a trail of the DCC Institutes official colours of a blood moon. The colours faded into a white as they looped as a unit in the air and launched upwards, before breaking apart. Two of the silver mechs on the ends did a difficult barrel-roll maneuver as another two created colourful rings that the others maneuvered through. The Snow White mech continued to fly upwards into the sky with the action swirling below.</p><p>The crowd of onlookers that gathered into the courtyard below gasped as the captain’s thrusters seem to cut out as the mech broke past the clouds. However, with the distraction happening in the forefront, the captain was promptly forgotten.</p><p>That was until a panic broke as the mech dropped headfirst downwards in a free fall. The gasps on concern grew louder as the mech fell towards the crowd with no signs of movement from the pilot inside.</p><p>Siyeon watched in shocked horror as she watched the mech fall closer to the ground. She turned to her seemingly unconcerned roommate who simply watched with amusement.</p><p>Suddenly, her thrusters blasted on, just a safe distance from the crowd, as she flipped her position to swoop up over them. There were a lot of cheers and breaths of relief as she scaled upwards towards the deck.</p><p>            “Zero Gravity drop. Classic.” Siyeon could hear Gahyeon laugh loudly, clearly being aware of this dangerous maneuver.</p><p>At that moment, Rabbit had passed up just in front of the two as Siyeon could feel the strong blast of warm air against her. It was almost as if slow motion, the burning glow of the setting sun reflecting against the mech as it passed by. Siyeon was mesmerized and didn’t think such beauty could come from machines of war. There was only once in her life she got to witness something like this so close and it felt overwhelming to feel that rush again.</p><p>            “Looks like they’re getting ready for the grand finale.” The young engineer spoke up again, breaking Siyeon from her trance.</p><p>The Squad rejoined again in a star formation, and began to turn in an even, circular motion, creating a tornado of colours which now blended in the sunset as they launched upwards. Small torpedo launchers opened from three of the mech’s shoulders aiming upwards and firing into the sky.</p><p>With a loud boom and crackle, the darkening sky sparkled and glittered in a burst of colours that were shaped into the the flag of the National flag and symbol the Institute in the sky that could be seen from the city.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As beautiful as the display was, JiU knew this merely was just the mark of another year in the raging, never-ending battle for humanity.</p><p>But if she could at least flash a little hope among her fellow soldiers, it made it worth it, she thought smiling as she looked down to see the two familiar figures scurrying from the rooftop.  </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Still trying to figure out the formatting.....<br/>Comments and Feedback are always appreciated</p><p>Thank you for reading~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Learning the Ropes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gahyeon is a naturally curious person. Throughout her life she never stopped seeking out answers and reasons for a wide variety of things she didn’t understand. Her curious nature was a large part of what made her an adaptable Engineer with a wide imagination and ability to solve problems and take on challenges. Most importantly she loved learning new things, sometimes to the point of obsession but purely out of passion with her newest fixation being her mysterious and quiet roommate. The woman had barely spoken to her with anything other than formalities, but she was determined to find out more.</p>
<p>Something new that she had quickly learned the next morning was that her broody roommate was not by any means a morning person.</p>
<p>Gahyeon had woken up early with invigorated and renewed energy. For many months she was without a roommate and it felt nice to have an extra presence in the room, albeit a nonchalant one.</p>
<p>She stretched her arms up, slipping on her loose, grey training shirt and threw her pyjamas in a nearby hamper. She pulled back her hair and tied it up in a high, loose bun as she looked over at Siyeon who had remained unmoving and comfortably curled up under her blankets on the other side of the room.  </p>
<p>She glanced at her watch and realized it was already getting late as she figured it was time to wake the older woman up. Before that, she opened the woman’s closet throwing down a similar training outfit to the one she was wearing onto her bed.</p>
<p>          “Siyeon… Siyeon you have to wake up… Siyeon…”  She spoke quietly while shaking the sleeping woman’s shoulder. She remained unmoving while Gahyeon huffed impatiently before deciding to give her another hard shove.</p>
<p>Siyeon jolted awake as the strong shove shook her from her dreamless slumber. She rubbed her eyes to rid the blur from her vision as the familiar soft face of her roommate came into her view. Siyeon observed how the girl was already dressed in what appeared to be a casual training uniform.</p>
<p>          “Can’t have you sleeping in on the first day!” Gahyeon said a little too cheerily for how early it was.</p>
<p>Siyeon noticed how the sun still had not risen yet and looked at the time on her watch.</p>
<p>          “… it’s 5:35am….” She groaned, still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.</p>
<p>          “Yes, and physical training starts at 6! I don’t know who your instructor is, but I know bad things happen if you’re late.” Gahyeon pouted while crossing her arms over her chest.  </p>
<p>Siyeon continued to sit in her bed, the words processing in her mind.  </p>
<p>          “…Physical training?”</p>
<p>          “Well nothing too intense, just a morning run before breakfast. We are still soldiers and have to stay in shape after all.” Gahyeon explained.</p>
<p>          “I guess that makes sense.” Siyeon grumbled, finally sitting up in her bed with a dazed expression.</p>
<p>Gahyeon stared her down and couldn’t help but notice how child-like the older woman looked with her squinted eyes, disheveled hair and down-turned lips. It was rather cute despite her moody and dismissive behaviour.</p>
<p>          “Now come on and get up Grumpy! I even pulled out your training clothes for you.”</p>
<p>Siyeon observed the neatly folded outfit sitting at the end of her bed.</p>
<p>          “I didn’t ask you-“</p>
<p>Gahyeon help up her hand to stop the woman. “No need to thank me, just doing my due diligence as your onboarding guide.”</p>
<p>Siyeon rubbed her temples, irritation evident on her face. She didn’t understand this girl at all.</p>
<p>Without any more words exchanged, she got up and grabbed her training uniform and headed towards the bathroom to change.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two roommates had parted ways, going to their respective classes.</p>
<p>The drill sergeant had instructed them to line up in pairs of two as Siyeon awkwardly stood alone at the back. Her peers already seemed to be well acquainted with one another before another presence joined beside her.</p>
<p>Siyeon was paired beside a slightly shorter woman with a small face who sported a short, bobbed hairstyle. Despite her small size, she seemed quite fit and sturdy, her expression neutral as she turned her face to look at her partner.</p>
<p>          “You new?” She asked, her voice deeper than Siyeon expected.</p>
<p>          “Yes.”</p>
<p>The woman hummed. “Welcome. My name is Dami.” </p>
<p>          “Thanks…I’m Siyeon.” She replied out of courtesy.</p>
<p>Dami nodded in acknowledgment and turned ahead. No further words were exchanged, much to Siyeon’s relief as she wasn’t in the mood for casual conversation.</p>
<p>The run was straight forward as they lapped around a large, open space. In the center of the space had a variety of obstacle courses, such as climbing walls and sand pits. Off to the side was a small building that housed a firing range.</p>
<p>Siyeon felt the training ground had a rather primitive setup considering the high tech that surrounded them, yet she still found some appreciation for it. She had merely expected to work in a garage on various rigs and developing new technology – but the thought of field training made sense. As Gahyeon had mentioned earlier, they were still soldiers. Still, the thought of being put on the front lines irked her, especially when the looming threat were creatures beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Lacking remorse and relentless without much purpose other than to cause chaos.</p>
<p>She felt a chill run up her spine at the thought.</p>
<p>After about 20 minutes with a periodic break they were finally dismissed, Siyeon kelt over and panted heavily. The run had felt like an eternity.</p>
<p>          ‘When did I get so out of shape…’ She thought standing back upright.</p>
<p>          “You’ll get used to it…” She heard the low, familiar voice of her running partner who seemingly read her mind.</p>
<p>          “This is nothing compared to the training that pilots and foot soldiers go through.” Dami continued, wiping the small bit of moisture on her brow. She looked like she had gone for no more than a brisk walk.  </p>
<p>          “I can’t imagine.”</p>
<p>Dami let out a small chuckle. “Let’s just say that there is a reason they have their own training grounds and facilities.”</p>
<p>She began to walk off and Siyeon took a deep breath to compose herself again. She wordlessly followed her class to the cafeteria after now working up a strong appetite.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t long after breakfast that the class of technicians were gathered in the lower hangar in rows, now awaiting further instruction. Siyeon’s eyes wandered around. Multiple stations and bays were set up for the many mech suits and weapons. She could tell that many were still prototypes or undergoing heavy maintenance as various spare parts and scraps of metal were strewn about with many of the mechs missing limbs and propped up with what appeared to be magnetic stands.</p>
<p>The large entrance to the deck opened with a man and a woman dawning similar uniforms to theirs emerging from it. However, they wore a red arm band and a distinct badge that was similar in design to the junior technicians, though had golden leaves around the crest and a few more details in the center.</p>
<p>Siyeon immediately recognized the shorter woman as the one she saw in the upper decks who wore a black eye-patch over her right eye. She had a sharp nose and jawline and dark brown hair that was tied back under her short-brimmed hat.</p>
<p>The man was quite a bit taller and had fairly sharp and defined features as well.</p>
<p>Everyone immediately stood attention as the two took to the front and faced them.</p>
<p>          “I know many of you are familiar with the drill, but today we have a guest supervisor who will be watching over our class. She is a very skilled senior technician and has been asked to observe and report the progress of the First Class. Miss Kim Bora-”</p>
<p>          She briskly interrupted, “Great introduction Younghyun, I’ll take over from here.”</p>
<p>          “I told you to call me Brian…” he muttered under his breath as he stood off to the side, arms crossed above his chest.</p>
<p>Bora took a moment to look over the faces of the technicians. She briefly stopped at Siyeon before continuing to look over them all.</p>
<p>“I think I recognize most of you. Now before you can even touch these things, there is something important that I want to make clear. First rule of being a technician is fully knowing what it is you’re are working on day in and day out. Since you are all First Class, I am sure that this is an easy question. Can anyone tell me what these are?”  She asked, gesturing to the stations around them.</p>
<p>A brief silence overtook the room.</p>
<p>“Mechs?” one young woman spoke in a small voice.</p>
<p>Bora clicked her tongue, unamused. “Obviously, that is what they are called. But what are they really?” she asked everyone again.</p>
<p>“They are vehicles?” Another young man spoke up.</p>
<p>“They can serve that purpose, but that is not what they are. Mechs aren’t just some fancy suits of armour that you fly around and look cool in. Try again.” The brash woman now crossed her arms impatiently.</p>
<p>The silence engulfed the room as they stared blankly at one another.</p>
<p>“Weapons.” A quiet voice spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.</p>
<p>Bora perked up. “Say that again. Louder.”</p>
<p>“They are weapons.” Siyeon spoke up louder after clearing her throat, projecting confidence into her answer.</p>
<p>The senior tech hummed in a high tone. “New girl got it.”</p>
<p>Bora snapped her fingers and abruptly threw her palm on the metal leg of a nearby model with a loud and hallow clang that jolted everyone alert in the room.</p>
<p>“Exactly! At the end of the day these are weapons. Not toys. These are tools that serve to eliminate threats and most importantly keep our pilots safe. We are their weaponsmiths and we cannot afford to be careless.”  She took a pause, observing the shocked reaction of her subordinates.</p>
<p>“If you feel the need to slack off or feeling under the weather, anything that impends your concentration – then don’t bother coming here. We don’t want you touching these.”</p>
<p>She was straightforward and harsh, but the passion in her voice caught the full attention of everyone in the room.</p>
<p>          “Now that I have made myself clear… there are blueprints at your stations so get to work.” She waved everyone off as they saluted and made there way to their stations. “New girl.” Bora had ushered the younger girl over and Siyeon followed respectfully. “I want you to shadow Dami. She has a lot of experience with working on mechs and she will show you the ropes.”</p>
<p>Upon hearing her name, Dami raised her hand to acknowledge the Senior Tech’s request.</p>
<p>She made her way over and the first thing that Siyeon had noticed was the full and complete size mech in Dami’s station, compared to most other’s workspaces that had what appeared to be more skeletons and prototypes.</p>
<p>          “I know you probably have a lot of questions, so I’ll begin by explaining that this here is ‘Bloodhound’ – a mech specialized for tracking.” She gestured to the large machine beside her.</p>
<p>“The reason it stands out a bit is because it is a ‘field-ready’ mech, meaning it has an assigned pilot, and an assigned technician, which is myself.”</p>
<p>Again, this woman she had met only briefly seemed to read her mind. Siyeon took in the information, observing the mech.</p>
<p>          “Do all mechs have an assigned pilot and technician?” she inquired.</p>
<p>          “Not all of them, but most of the specialized units do. As I mentioned, this is for tracking and also serves as an on-field medic and repair. It’s more focused on utility but also has defensive capability.” She explained further by pointing to the large energy pistol strapped to the thigh of the mech.</p>
<p>          “While I agree with Miss Bora that these are weapons, I also believe they are more than that. They can protect people. They are shields just as much as they are swords.” The experienced technician spoke with passion, not quite with as much ferocity as the short woman but the same amount of genuineness.  </p>
<p>The raven-haired woman observed the mech closer. It indeed did seem a bit different from the combat focussed mechs. It had a large boxed compartment strapped on the back as well as smaller compartments on the arms with what she assumed to be medical and repair supplies judging from the red cross on the top of them. Overall, it was a dusted white colour with thin red trim. The helmet sat on a workbench nearby and she noticed the visor looked a little different as well, it covered most of the face with minimal plating that curved over the cheeks and the bottom of the chin.</p>
<p>She recalled how “Rabbit” only had a visor that went across the eyes and the rest was plated over. She mentally took note of the differences.</p>
<p>Dami watched as the slightly older woman’s eyes continued to scan over the mech. She took a seat on her chair and sat in front of the workbench where the helmet sat. Siyeon turned her attention back to the short-haired woman with curiosity.</p>
<p>          Without prompting, Dami spoke again.</p>
<p>“I am upgrading the tracking on the visor. It has the ability to flip between different views, such as seeking heat signatures, and night vision, which is great for humans and animals…” She paused, placing on some goggles, and taking a small drill to the temple of the helmet. “But not so much for Unknowns.”</p>
<p>She turned off the drill as a small hatch popped open and she pulled out a thin cord that plugged into a small computer embedded on the workbench. Lines of code filled the holographic screen that projected above the bench.</p>
<p>          “I am just reprogramming this, so if you have any questions, feel free.” She continued, not sparing a glance to the other woman. Dami quickly took notice that this new recruit was one of few words, so she heeded her words and simply let the woman observe.</p>
<p>Siyeon took the opportunity to look at the mech again. This was the first time she had seen a mech made from such high quality, advanced equipment, and parts. Most of the ones she had worked on were very “cheap” and made mostly of scrapped parts. She felt overwhelmed, but excited. Finally, she could put her skills to better use.</p>
<p>She looked down at the boots of the mech. They were thick and kept the mech stable to the ground and they were slightly stained with scorch marks from the high intensity heat of the thrusters. Observing closer, she noticed how the left boot seemed to have longer, darker marks that streaked up to the ankle and slight damage starting to form. The other boot seemed to have no such marks.</p>
<p>          “Is the thruster control on the boots set to automatically adjust the balance?” Siyeon asked as Dami turned from the screen.</p>
<p>          “Yes, unless the pilot manually overrides them. Why?”</p>
<p>          “I noticed that the left one seems to be overheating and causing some damage.” Siyeon pointed out, as Dami stood up to look for herself.</p>
<p>She hummed in acknowledgement. “Interesting. I never noticed that before. I think I’ll have to talk with my pilot. She does tend to be… rather off balance at times.”</p>
<p>          “Good eye you got there, new girl. Almost as good as mine.” A loud voice interrupted them as they looked up to see Bora leaning against the wall, watching with her arms crossed.</p>
<p>Siyeon wanted to laugh at the irony of the woman with the literally one good eye but held herself back out of respect and bowed instead.</p>
<p>          “Keep it up, kid… I got my eye on you.” She smirked, clearly in jest this time and Siyeon failed to fight back the slight grin on her lips after Dami lowly booed at the woman.</p>
<p>“As you were.” Bora laughed loudly before walking away.</p>
<p>Dami shook her head. “Don’t let that woman amuse you with her ‘eye’ jokes. It just encourages her.”</p>
<p>Siyeon quirked a brow, wondering if the two were close, but figured it was not her business, as they went back to work.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                                                                                              ~~~~~~</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>          Jiu chuckled lightly as she sat cross legged on her bed and watched the white furball scurrying around in front of her chasing its own tail. After returning late from her patrol the two nights before, it surprisingly wasn’t hard to sneak the puppy into her room without anyone noticing as there was hardly anyone working at that time. After she gave it some leftover food and a bath, the small dog seemed more than content despite being hidden in the bathroom of her room.</p>
<p>The puppy had managed to tire itself out, settling back on the pilot’s lap as she enjoyed the gentle pats and strokes against her fur that JiU provided.</p>
<p>It was a short amount of time, but JiU found herself becoming attached to the small creature with its’ beady eyes and little snout. She felt a strange comfort from it as it stared up at her, occasional leaning closer to smell the woman’s face.</p>
<p>The door to her room slid open abruptly as her roommate walked in, sweaty and tired. Startled, JiU jumped slightly and glanced at her watch noting the time which had extended just past noon.</p>
<p>          “Oh, you’re back late. Have a good run?” JiU asked while still scratching the ears on the back of the dog’s head.</p>
<p>Her roommate stopped for a moment, staring at the older woman before her gaze moved down towards the dog.</p>
<p>          “You know, you’re lucky that they don’t do room inspections anymore because you would be in huge trouble.” The sweaty woman sighed, choosing to ignore her initial question.</p>
<p>          “It’s only temporary, besides, she is surprisingly quiet and well behaved. Just look at how cute she is!” JiU responded while holding up the small, now confused puppy in her arms.</p>
<p>          “I prefer cats.” The blonde rolled her eyes playfully. JiU pouted as the dog looked at her curiously while tilting its’ head.</p>
<p>          “It’s okay Cherry, she is just envious.”</p>
<p>“Really…Cherry? You even named it?” she mused, grabbing a new set of clothing from her closet and a towel.</p>
<p>JiU nodded. “It didn’t feel right to just leave her without a name.”</p>
<p>          “Well, I would say don’t get attached to it, but I see it’s already too late for that.” She chuckled before entering the bathroom and closing the door shut.</p>
<p>JiU continued to pet the dog on her lap who had begun to nod off to sleep. She leaned back against her pillows and let out a deep breath. She had finished her training session earlier in the day and her muscles still slightly aching from the exertion. She closed her eyes, taking in the silence aside from light snores from Cherry and the running water in the bathroom.</p>
<p>After about ten minutes her watch buzzed to life with a notification message flashing on the small screen. She tapped the screen as it opened the message.</p>
<p>          ‘Hey, meet me in the hangar….’’ It read. She was about to reply when another message followed. ‘….but leave the mutt.’</p>
<p>JiU’s eyes widened before letting out a hearty laugh to herself. She was surprised but should have known nothing got past her observant technician and one of her closest friends.</p>
<p>The door to the bathroom opened with her younger roommate walking out, drying the ends of her medium length hair with the towel around her neck. She wore her day to day, black camouflage uniform with a DCC crest embedded on the front.</p>
<p>She quirked a brow at her roommate who wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. JiU simply shook her head, sitting up and stretching her arms. She took the now disturbed dog from her lap and placed her on the bed as she got up.</p>
<p>          “Can you watch Cherry for a bit? Duty calls.” She smiled while Cherry began to whine slightly at the retreating owner.</p>
<p>          “Bora?” JiU heard her ask with a hint of annoyance in her tone.</p>
<p>The older pilot sighed. “You know she is a bit hard on you because she cares, right?”</p>
<p>Her roommate groaned as she had already heard this speech from the woman many times before.</p>
<p>          “Sure doesn’t seem like it. But anyways, you better get going... you know how impatient she gets.”</p>
<p>JiU offered a sympathetic smile as she made her way out, leaving the two in the room.</p>
<p>The blonde sat on her bed with a huff and crossed her arms. The mere mention of the woman she loathed had already put her in a bad mood. She glanced at Cherry who was still seated on JiU’s bed and simply stared curiously at her.</p>
<p>          “… maybe you’re a little cute.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>          “I should have known nothing would get past you.” JiU chuckled at her shorter friend.</p>
<p>          “I may have one eye, but it’s a good one. I see everything that comes and leaves my deck. “</p>
<p>          “Your deck, huh?” JiU paused, overlooking the commotion of the hangar around her. “I guess it is.” She turned her attention back to Bora. “How did observing the juniors go?”</p>
<p>Bora sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.</p>
<p>          “Same old, I guess. Though there was a new girl that impressed me. She seems more in tune with the reality that most of them don’t realize yet, so I paired her with Dami.” Bora recounted, remembering the tentative yet observant woman.</p>
<p>          “New girl?” JiU quirked up and thought for a moment. “Is her name Lee Siyeon, by chance?”</p>
<p>          Bora thought for a moment. “Maybe. I didn’t catch her name. Why, do you know her?”</p>
<p>          The pilot shook her head. “No, I just recall her from the ceremony. She was the only one that got inducted into first class.”</p>
<p>          Bora let out a soft grunt. “Well, I normally don’t agree with the decisions of the higher ups, but maybe they are onto something with her. Anyways, back to why I called you here.”</p>
<p>Bora turned her attention to her station which housed the impressive white and gold mech.</p>
<p>          “I installed a new addition to Rabbit here. Give it a test.” The technician gestured to a thin, rectangular panel on the right forearm of the mech that had an opening at the bottom.</p>
<p>Sliding into the back of the mech, JiU soft booted it on enough to test the new device.</p>
<p>          “I know you like to get close and personal with those things so I thought this would be a nice to try out.” She pressed a button on the side panel that retracted a long, large metallic blade.</p>
<p>JiU’s eyes widened in surprise, impressed by the display. Bora grinned at her reaction and held up her finger in anticipation.</p>
<p>          “Wait, it gets better.” Bora pressed another sequence of buttons that caused a burst of energy to erupt from the edges of the blade, outlining it in a strong, heated, blue glow.</p>
<p>JiU carefully lifted her arm, observing it closer and clearly impressed. She had always mused having an energy blade but didn’t think it possible. She was looking forward to trying it out.</p>
<p>          “It’s nice, I’ll give you that. Gahyeon’s design?” she asked the proud technician.</p>
<p>          “I thought up the idea the other night and the kid had a plan by the morning. Few things scare me, but that kid is definitely one of them.”</p>
<p>          JiU chuckled as she retracted the blade and disengaged from the mech. “Reliability is scary?”</p>
<p>          “You can’t rely on people these days, let alone young kids. So, to find such a quality in someone like that, wouldn’t you find that frightening?”</p>
<p>          “Well, you know who else is pretty reliable?”</p>
<p>          Bora rolled her eyes. “Don’t say it. That girl is a different kind of frightening, and it’s not the good kind. She is a ticking time bomb. Unpredictable. I have no idea why you decided to take her under your wing.”</p>
<p>          “I guess you could say she is a little too much like you.”</p>
<p>          “Say that again and I’ll rig your mech to shoot rainbows and meow like a cat while you’re flying.”</p>
<p>          “Do that and I will make sure to sneak in extra cheese on your burger when you’re not looking.”</p>
<p>The two bantered playfully between each other with Bora reaching for the Pilot’s neck as she laughed loudly at her antics.</p>
<p>          “This doesn’t seem like a professional conversation ladies.” The two immediately stood attention as the voice of their Commanding Officer interjected, neither noticing her walk up to them.</p>
<p>          “Commander Ryu.” JiU saluted, cheeks red with a slight embarrassment being caught playing around with Bora.  </p>
<p>The older woman cracked a small smile. “At ease ladies. You were just the faces I wanted to see.” The two threw a quick glance between each other before turning their attention back to the Commander.</p>
<p>“Our scouts reported some unusual activity in the north sector. As far as I know, it was nothing major, but we need someone to look into it. Captain JiU, take your squad to investigate. Miss Bora, prepare the mechs for launch.”</p>
<p>JiU and Bora saluted again. “Right away Commander.”</p>
<p>Sera nodded, walking away and the two let out the breath they were holding. The pilot took a glance at her mech.</p>
<p>          “Well, looks like I may get to test out the new weapon sooner than I thought.” JiU quipped and Bora just smirked.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello, I am back with this. Sorry for the wait! I think I will try shorter but quicker updates in the future.... </p>
<p>Expect some more action coming up soon. </p>
<p>Comments and feedback are always appreciated. </p>
<p>Until next time~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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